Every July, South Florida transforms. Boats fill the marinas before dawn. Dive flags dot the reefs from Biscayne Bay to Key West. Locals call it Bug Fever, and if you have ever caught your limit of Florida spiny lobster on mini season morning, you know exactly what that means.
Mini season 2026 runs July 29–30—the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday of July, as set by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) every year. You have 48 hours to get out there before the commercial traps go in the water for regular season. This guide covers everything: the official dates, the rules, where to go, and what gear actually works. If this guide makes you hungry for Maine lobster instead, you can buy fresh lobster online and skip the boat ride entirely.
2026 Mini Season Dates at a Glance
The sport season (commonly called mini season) runs July 29–30, 2026. It starts at 12:01 AM on Wednesday, July 29 and ends at midnight on Thursday, July 30. That is two full days open to all recreational divers and snorkelers with a valid license.
The regular season runs from August 6, 2026 through March 31, 2027. During regular season, the daily bag limit drops to 6 per person statewide, and commercial traps join the recreational harvest. Mini season is the only time recreational divers have the water to themselves before the commercial fleet moves in.
Licenses and Permits You Need
Anyone 16 and older needs a valid Florida recreational saltwater fishing license with a spiny lobster permit attached. You can buy both online through the FWC’s GoOutdoorsFlorida system or at any licensed retail agent—bait shops, marinas, and some Walmart sporting goods counters. A resident annual saltwater license runs about $17, plus a $5 lobster permit. Non-resident licenses cost more: a 3-day saltwater license is roughly $30, and a 7-day runs about $45. The lobster permit is the same $5 regardless of residency.
Buy your license at least a week before mini season. The system sometimes experiences delays during the week before July 29 as thousands of procrastinators flood the portal. Do not be one of them.
Bag Limits and Size Rules for 2026
The bag limits vary by location. In Monroe County (the entire Florida Keys chain) and Biscayne National Park, the daily bag limit is 6 lobsters per person per day. In the rest of Florida—Broward, Palm Beach, Miami-Dade outside the park, and the Gulf Coast—the daily bag limit is 12 per person per day.
Possession limits on the water match the daily bag limit. Off the water, the rules shift: on July 29, you can possess no more than the daily bag limit. On July 30, you can possess up to double the daily bag limit, meaning if you caught your limit both days, you can drive home with 12 lobsters (from the Keys) or 24 (from elsewhere) without breaking the law.
The minimum size is a 3-inch carapace, measured in the water before the lobster goes in your bag. You must carry a measuring device at all times. FWC officers conduct spot checks on the water and at boat ramps, and the fine for undersized lobsters starts at several hundred dollars and can escalate depending on the number of violations.
Where to Go: Best Spots for Mini Season
Florida Keys: The undisputed center of mini season action. Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, and Key West all have world-class lobstering on both the bayside and oceanside reefs. Patch reefs in 10 to 25 feet of water are the sweet spot for snorkelers. Islamorada and Marathon see the heaviest boat traffic in the state—launch before 5 AM or you will spend an hour waiting in line at the ramp.
Biscayne National Park: Right in Miami’s backyard. The park’s reefs and rocky shorelines hold good numbers of lobster and are accessible by boat from Homestead and Cutler Bay. Remember that the 6-per-person bag limit applies here, same as Monroe County. The park enforces it aggressively.
Broward and Palm Beach Reefs: The artificial reefs and natural ledges off Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach consistently produce lobster. Less crowded than the Keys and closer for divers coming from the northern end of the Miami metro area. The 12-per-person limit applies here, which makes it attractive for groups filling coolers.
Miami-Dade Nearshore Reefs: The ledges off Key Biscayne and the reef systems south of Cape Florida are worth checking, especially for divers who want to avoid the two-hour drive to the Keys. Water visibility can be variable depending on recent weather, but the lobster population has been steady in recent years.
Gear You Need for Mini Season 2026
You do not need a lot of gear. You need the right gear. Here is what every mini season diver should bring: a tickle stick (a thin metal or fiberglass rod for coaxing lobsters out of their holes), a lobster snare (a loop on a pole that cinches around the tail), a measuring gauge (mandatory, and cheap), a dive flag (required anytime you are in the water, minimum 20×24 inches from a boat), a mesh catch bag (at least one, but two is better for sorting keepers from shorts), gloves (lobster spines are sharp and will cut through unprotected hands), and a dive light (lobsters hide deep in crevices, and the light helps spot antennae).
The tickle stick and snare combination is the standard catching method. The tickle stick goes in from the front to encourage the lobster to back out, while the snare waits behind the tail. Once the lobster backs into the loop, a quick pull cinches it. It takes practice, but most people get the hang of it within a few tries.
What Is Prohibited During Mini Season
Spearing: Any device that punctures, penetrates, or crushes the shell or flesh is prohibited. You must catch lobsters by hand or with a snare.
Night diving: Night diving is prohibited in Monroe County during the two-day sport season. Everywhere else, night diving is allowed with proper lights, but most divers stick to daylight hours for safety.
Diving within 300 feet of residential shoreline: During mini season, you cannot enter the water within 300 feet of a residential shoreline in Monroe County. This rule exists to protect privacy and avoid conflicts with homeowners.
Recreational trapping: You cannot use traps during the sport season. Only hand-harvest methods are allowed.
Egg-bearing females: Any lobster carrying eggs under its tail must be returned immediately. The fine for taking an egg-bearing lobster is substantial, and FWC officers check aggressively.
Harvesting from prohibited areas: John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is closed to lobster harvest during mini season. Everglades National Park, Dry Tortugas National Park, the Biscayne Bay/Card Sound Lobster Sanctuary, and the no-take zones in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary are closed year-round.
Tips for a Successful Mini Season
Launch before dawn. The best spots get picked clean by 8 AM on July 29. If you are not on the water by first light, you are fishing for leftovers. Mark your spots on GPS the weekend before. Scouting ahead of mini season is legal and smart—find the structure, note the depths, and have a plan before Wednesday morning. Bring twice as much ice as you think you need. The Florida sun in late July is brutal, and lobster meat degrades fast if it stays warm. Fill your cooler with ice the night before and drain excess water before adding lobsters. A 50-quart cooler with a 2:1 ice-to-lobster ratio will keep meat at safe temperatures for the ride home. Have a backup plan for weather. July afternoon thunderstorms in South Florida are predictable and violent. If you are planning an afternoon dive, watch the radar and be willing to call it early. Lightning on open water is not worth a limit of lobster. And finally, check FWC regulations at myfwc.com the week before. Rules can change year to year, and a quick online check saves you the hassle of a citation.
After Mini Season: What to Do With Your Catch
The spiny lobster you bring home is different from the Maine lobster most people are used to. It has no claws, so all the meat is in the tail. The tail meat is firmer and slightly less sweet than Maine lobster, but it holds up better to grilling, frying, and ceviche. A common mistake is overcooking it—spiny lobster tail cooks faster than clawed lobster, usually 6 to 8 minutes for a medium tail.
If mini season does not work out, or if you want the claw meat that spiny lobsters do not have, Maine lobster is available year-round from online suppliers. You can buy fresh lobster delivered overnight and have it on your table within 24 hours of leaving the ocean. No dive gear required.
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